The weather pattern across portions of southwestern Europe has been more reminiscent of August than April over the past week as temperatures have soared well above the historical average, shattering monthly all-time record highs in multiple countries, as well as the continent as a whole.
As AccuWeather reports, blistering conditions have primarily settled across Portugal and Spain and also Morocco in northern Africa, where observed temperatures have reached levels 10-25 degrees Fahrenheit (6–14 degrees Celsius) above the historical average for the end of April. The hot weather intensified throughout the week with dozens of record highs set on Tuesday and Wednesday before the heat wave reached a crescendo on Thursday and Friday.
Córdoba, Spain, located in the southern tier of the country, rose to an astounding 101.8 degrees Fahrenheit (38.8 C), beating the country’s previous April high-temperature record of 101.5 F (38.6 C) set in the city of Elche in 2011. In addition, this marked the highest April temperature ever recorded in Europe.
Portugal was also feeling the summerlike heat, with the municipality of Mora climbing to 98.4 F (36.9 C) on Thursday. Pinhão had held Portugal’s previous temperature record for April with a mark of 96.8 F (36.0 C), which had stood since 1945.
Farther south, temperatures surged even higher in northwestern Africa. In the town of Ben Guerir, Morocco, Thursday’s high was a scorching 106.3 F (41.3 C) which beat the country’s 2006 all-time record high record for the month of April of 105.8 F (41.0 C) set in the coastal city of Agadir.
The extreme heat contributed to several alterations to daily life across southern Spain, including schools being allowed to adjust their schedule to avoid the worst of the heat and trains running more frequently than usual to prevent long lines on platforms amid the scorching sunshine, the BBC reported. Additionally, residents eager for a dip in a public swimming pool will be able to do so a month earlier than usual as a result of the early spike in temperatures.
Experts urge residents and visitors of the region to limit time outdoors during the hottest part of the day, wear light-colored and loose-fitting clothing and drink plenty of water to stay properly hydrated. Taking these precautionary measures can help reduce the risk of heat-related illnesses.
AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Tony Zartman explained that the record-breaking temperatures were a result of an extensive heat dome, or high-pressure system, that stretched from northwestern Africa up into the Iberian Peninsula. As these high-pressure systems sit overhead for an extended period of time, the air underneath can continue to grow hotter and hotter.
“The hot weather was amplified by the fact that much of northwest Africa into Spain and Portugal have been much drier than the historical average,” Zartman said.
A couple of disturbances moving across western Europe will help to break down the heat from its record-breaking levels into early next week. Even with the slight cooling, AccuWeather meteorologists expect temperatures to remain above the historical averages through much of next week.
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